The root of suffering is resisting the certainty that no matter what the circumstances, uncertainty is all we truly have.

Everybody has the light of Buddha within, but they don't look for it.

Compassion is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength.

The problem is not the problem; the problem is your attitude about the problem.

Suffering is not the end of the story; it is the middle of the story.

The path to liberation requires both understanding and practice, both pariyatti and patipatti.

When we rest in awareness, we discover a peace that is always present, regardless of circumstances.

The treasure house within you contains everything, and you are free to use it. You don't need to seek outside.

Life is glorious, but life is also wretched. It is both. Appreciating the gloriousness inspires us, encourages us, cheers us up, gives us a bigger perspective, energizes us. We feel connected. But if that's all that's happening, we get arrogant and start to look down on others, and there is a sense of making ourselves a big deal and being really serious about it, wanting it to be like that forever. The gloriousness becomes tinged by craving and addiction. On the other hand, wretchedness--life's painful aspect--softens us up considerably. Knowing pain is a very important ingredient of being there for another person.

The more you understand impermanence, the more you appreciate every moment.

Buddhist practice is not to eliminate life's problems but to grow with them patiently and with compassion.

Feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we're holding back.

The quality of every moment depends on the state of our minds.

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.

The purpose of studying Buddhism is not to study Buddhism, but to study ourselves.

When things fall apart and we're on the verge of we know not what, the test of each of us is to stay on that brink and not concretize.

Just as the great ocean has one taste, the taste of salt, so also this teaching and discipline has one taste, the taste of liberation.

The Buddha taught that wealth does not bring happiness and security. The pursuit of wealth is a matter of living in balance.

When both body and mind are at peace, all things appear as they are: perfect, complete, lacking nothing.

The rising and falling of the abdomen is not the main object. The main object is to develop mindfulness, concentration, and insight.

The more you understand yourself, the more you understand the world.

The key to meditation is to recognize the nature of your mind rather than trying to change it.

The nature of all things is like a magical illusion, a mirage, a dream, a reflection of the moon in water.

Compassion is not something we develop. It arises naturally as we see the truth of what is.

Misery ceases to exist when we stop reacting to sensations.

The more we understand impermanence, the more we appreciate each moment of our lives.

Faith is not a commodity that you either have or don't have - it is an inner quality that unfolds as we learn to trust our own deepest experience.

Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed.

The first step toward faith is to admit that we don't know everything.

You are an aperture through which the universe is looking at and exploring itself.

The practice is like peeling an onion. Layer after layer of delusion is removed through continuous mindfulness.

Should you desire the great tranquility, prepare to sweat white beads.

We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.